


Perfume and Cigarettes

by ChillyHollow



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Presents, Eventual Smut, Gen, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:22:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25051621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillyHollow/pseuds/ChillyHollow
Summary: I was going to title this "The Nose Knows" but came to my senses.
Relationships: Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike
Comments: 37
Kudos: 65





	1. Chapter 1

Each morning when Cormoran Strike arrived in his office, he put the kettle on and lingered at Robin Ellacott’s nearby desk while the water came to a boil, enjoying the faint scent of her perfume that hung in the air around her chair.His last checkup the doctor had advised him to cut back on smoking due to the effects on his health, “including damage to your sense of smell.”He’d decided then and there the doctor didn’t know what he was talking about.His sense of smell was as good as it had ever been.He took a deep breath of Robin Ellacott, and made them both tea.She’d be here shortly.

Robin loved the shabby little office she shared with Cormoran Strike.It represented independence, a career she loved, a man whose intelligence and hard work she respected and who respected hers in return.Despite his leaving the office to smoke on the street most days, there was a hint of tobacco in the office, rich and spicy.When the weather was lousy he cut back on his two cigarettes a day and smoked only one in his office with the door shut and his tiny window open so as to not bother her.He was careful to clean his battered metal ash tray each evening, too.She appreciated his consideration but she really didn’t mind the smoke.It was part of Cormoran—he was spice and smoke and a rich undercurrent of musky maleness that sent her senses tingling every time she accidentally got too close to him. 

Robin was beginning to realize that her boss, whom she’d not found attractive when they started working together, was actually quite sexy.She tried not to think about it—she was engaged, after all—but when he smelled so good, it was difficult.The scent of him meant all sorts of pleasant things to her, not just his sex appeal, so she focused on those other things.This morning she hung up her coat, put her purse in her office drawer, turned on the computer and took a deep breath of Strike who was placing a mug of tea on her desk.She smiled at him and thanked him.He sat on the fake leather sofa so they could go over the week’s schedule, Robin taking notes while Strike stored everything in his prodigious memory.Robin suspected he had photographic recall but she’d never asked.She was willing to let Strike reveal himself to her at his own pace.He was a very private man and the few things he did tell her about his personal life she treasured as signs that he trusted her.

The day went on, nothing special, but they were busy and making a go of the business.Robin went out in the late morning to do some research, coming back at lunchtime with sandwiches and crisps for them both.They ate on the sofa, comparing what each had learned about the three cases they had going this week.Christmas break was starting in a few days.Strike hoped Robin would leave a scarf or gloves or something similar in the office so her scent would linger in the office.If she did, he’d have a bit of her to enjoy until the holidays were over and she came back from Yorkshire to him. 

He himself was staying in London, having Christmas Day with his sister and her family and spending Christmas Eve with his friends Nick and Ilsa.He left a bit early to pick up the ham that was his contribution to Nick’s cooking and see if he could find anything to give Lucy.He got the ham and browsed to find a present for Lucy but only came home with a tiny silver charm hung on a silver keyring to give Robin.The charm was in the shape of a magnifying glass.The keyring had a disk (he had the jeweler engrave it with the letter R for Robin) and a clip to attach to her purse strap.He thought she’d like it.As far as Strike was concerned, it was a successful day. 

Robin had to endure an office Christmas party that evening with her fiancé and his work colleagues.These things were never fun.She didn’t like anyone Matt worked with that much, and these events were competitions between workmates over who was going to have the best holiday, the best present, the best clothes, the best looking guest, the funniest stories.Matthew was always a nervous wreck ahead of time and at his most critical about Robin’s hair, weight, and clothing.So she was surprised when Matt cornered her in the bathroom as she was getting ready and presented her with a beribboned box, saying it was something special for the holidays.She opened the box to discover bottles of Opium perfume, body oil and lotion.Matt expected her to wear it so she put the best possible face on it, splashing some of the perfume behind her ears and using the lotion on her hands before she pulled on her little black dress and heels. 

At the party she was dressed to the nines and her feet hurt.The smile she had plastered on her face felt like a mask.Matthew was drinking too much, laughing too loud, the food was too rich, she needed air.She excused herself and hid out in the ladies bathroom, trying to compose herself.She combed her hair and freshened her makeup and thought of the box of extremely expensive cigars she had purchased and hidden in the office for Strike to find.She’d wrapped a bow around them, tucked in a box of wooden matches and added a cheeky note.She hoped he liked them.It was hard to buy for a valued colleague, especially one you realized you fancied about the time you shelled out way too much money for something you didn’t know if they would smoke.Robin squared her shoulders and headed back into battle.

Matthew thought the evening had been a success.Robin had been nearly cornered by a drunken partner with roving hands, she had a headache from the heavy perfume, and she had to be up early tomorrow morning for surveillance.She was just glad it was over. 

The next morning Robin didn’t arrive at work until later since she’d had to tail a mark from their flat to work to see if they stopped off anywhere.Strike missed her but he knew she’d be in around ten so he timed her cup of tea to be ready about 10:15 a.m.His back was to the office door and he was pouring water over the tea bags when Robin came in.She said hello with a little grimace in her voice.He turned and looked at her—and a thick, oriental scent of sandalwood, orange, musk and coriander wafted off her.Strike blinked.Robin usually wore a light floral scent, very faint but distinctive.Strike was familiar with Opium—Charlotte had worn it for a while—but he didn’t think it was right for Robin.Looking at her cheeks, pink from embarrassment, he thought she agreed.A Christmas present from Matthew, he deduced.“Tea?” he asked.

Robin gratefully accepted the tea.“Thanks.”

Strike noticed she had dark circles under her eyes.“Are you ok?” he asked.

“Yes, it’s just I was out late last night.It was Matt’s office Christmas party and we didn’t get home until after midnight.I didn’t have a chance to take a shower this morning so I’m still in the perfume he gave me for Christmas.I didn’t know it would be so strong and linger so long.Sorry.”

“It’s fine.Opium, isn’t it?I would have pegged you as Chanel No. 9.”“How did the surveillance go?”Robin was grateful he changed the subject so she could concentrate on work, not on the fact that she smelled like a whorehouse.Strike soon retreated to his office to make phone calls.He shut the door, Robin noticed.She wondered if she could credibly drop and break all the bottles of expensive perfume, lotion and body oil in one go. 

While talking on the phone Strike yanked open his desk drawer to find a pen and instead he found a little cigar box tied with a ribbon.He pulled off the ribbon, took off the lid and found a box of matches on top of the layers of cigars with a note, “Maybe these won’t smell like wet newspaper.Rx”

He smiled. 

Once the phone calls for the day were over, Strike looked at the schedule and decided that they could afford an afternoon off.He went out into the musk and cinnabar outer office where Robin was typing away.She had a slight frown on her face and he thought she might have a headache.She looked up at him, saw he was carrying the box of cigars, and smiled.

“Just found these.Thanks, Robin.This is a real treat.Where did you find hand rolled cigars?”

“One of the partners at Matt’s firm smokes cigars.I remembered him talking about a cigar shop, found the place and picked up some for you.I thought you might like something a little different from the Benson and Hedges you usually smoke.”

“They even included a cutter to clip the end.Was that your idea?”

Robin blushed.“I thought it might come in handy.Merry Christmas.”

Strike smiled.“Thanks.I have a little something for you, too.”He pulled a small box from his shirt pocket and handed it over. Robin smiled when she saw it wasn’t wrapped.Cormoran and wrapping paper had a hate-hate relationship.She lifted the lid and folded back tissue paper to find the silver magnifier glass charm on a keyring. It even had a little disk with a cursive R for her name on the ring.“Oh!I love it!”

Robin grabbed her purse and found her keys.She took the office keys off her ring and put them on her new ring.Then the new ring she clipped to a pull ring on her purse and dropped the household keys into the bottom of the bag.They grinned at each other.Strike said, “Since we are doing the Christmas gifts thing, why don’t we skivv off work and take the rest of the day as our office Christmas party?We can get something to eat outside so I can enjoy one of my new cigars.”

“Ok, let’s!”Robin was all smiles now.She got her purse, Cormoran pocketed a cigar, his new cutter and matches, they pulled on coats and off they went.They found a Greek restaurant where they could eat lamb kebabs outside at a small table.While they ate Strike spotted a used book store across the street, so once they’d finished lunch they browsed the shelves.Robin found a battered copy of One Shot by Lee Child for Cormoran and he found a nearly new volume of Kate Summerscale’s The Suspicions of Inspector Whicher for Robin.Neither knew the other was shopping for their partner.They were surprised by each other all over again by the gifts each presented to the other when Cormoran found them a sunny table outside a pub that was somewhat protected from the wind to sit and drink the beer and wine that was their preferred tipple.Cormoran lit his cigar and sat reading the first chapter, looking up occasionally to meet Robin’s eyes.She was engrossed in her book, too.He thought she looked wonderful, her honey hair blowing slightly in the breeze, the heavy perfume she was wearing erased by the fresh air.She was engaged to marry someone else, though.Nothing he could do beyond admire her from afar, not that an affair with someone he worked with was a great idea.

Robin was pretending to read her book, but she was really thinking about her business partner, who understood how little Matt got Robin but never said anything about the choices she’d made for her personal life.The more she got to know her boss, the more she saw how ill suited she and Matthew were.Cormoran never nagged her, he was always considerate, he knew what suited her and what didn’t, he always remembered her sandwich preferences and how she liked her tea.She thought, looking across at him, his hair ruffled lightly by the breeze, cigar in his mouth and book in his hand, that he was also sexy as hell. The temptation to dump Matthew was growing stronger.She knew in her bones that if Strike was attracted to her—and she had no idea whether he was or not—he’d never say anything as long as she was engaged.Matthew was the expected choice she owed her family but Strike was a treat she wanted for herself.

It was drawing later in the afternoon.After two beers and two glasses of wine, two chapters of their new books, an expensive cigar and a lovely afternoon, it was time to head home.Strike walked her to the train station and for once, he kissed her cheek before she turned to catch the train back to Matthew.The scent of a fine cigar mingled with the powerful scent of Opium, Robin lightly touched his cheek and whispered “Merry Christmas,” before they broke away, each resolved to go their own way despite the temptation.They left the mingled scent of perfume and cigar behind them.It slowly dissipated into nothing in the late afternoon chill. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Blue_Robin who asked for more

By next Christmas the business was busier than ever.Robin and Matthew were married now, and her friendship with Strike had cooled because of her wedding and his of firing her just before it.Strike didn’t understand how Robin could marry a man who did his best to prevent her knowing that after firing her for her own protection, Strike wanted her to come back to work with him.She’d forgiven Strike for the firing (more or less) and he’d forgiven her for marrying a wanker (more or less) but they weren’t quite the same any more. 

Robin regretted that.The office was still her sanctuary, the place where she felt most herself.Strike regretted it, too. Robin was someone he liked and got on well with, or he had.But he didn’t know how to repair the relationship.He wasn’t good at talking about his feelings, even if he knew how he felt toward Robin, which he didn’t.

He was sitting in his office, smoking because it was raining cats and dogs outside, and wondering just how he felt toward Robin.He was resentful—she’d married a man who was in Strike’s view nothing but a pretty face hiding a nasty character.He didn’t think Robin was a shallow woman, in love with nothing but a handsome face.He supposed she might feel obligation toward Matthew who apparently had been a rock for Robin to cling to after she was raped at uni.Strike knew he didn’t really have a good understanding of how much family might play into a relationship.Her family seemed to like Matthew.That wouldn’t be important to him—Strike himself didn’t care about how his family and friends felt toward the various women he had a relationship with—but maybe it was important to Robin.He’d spent a long time with Charlotte and neither his family or friends liked her.He couldn’t understand how Robin would allow the fact that her family liked a man to overcome his defects in character. 

Strike sighed and faced the fact that Charlotte had had plenty of character flaws, all of which he’d overlooked.He had to admit, perhaps Robin was more like himself than he realized.Perhaps one day she too would come to the end of her patience with Matthew.He put out his cigarette and looked at the window into the rain. 

Robin was working on a report in the inner office.The rain was depressing.She and Matthew had had another fight last night.For weeks at a time they’d get on well, then he would have a period of jealousy over Strike or throw in her face the fact that she made a third of what Matt made.Matt wanted a nicer car, a bigger flat, a fancier vacation than they could afford.If she’d only quit that stupid job and get a corporate one, Matthew could have those things.Robin wouldn’t budge on that one point, however.She’d dress to please Matthew, she’d pretend to have a perfect marriage to please her parents, she’d put up with Matt’s boring friends and her parents’ pressure to give them grandkids, but she would not give up the one thing that made her life in London bearable.She just wished Strike understood how much she was hemmed in by expectations. 

It was different for a man, particularly a man who had made his own way since he was a teen, a man who’d been a soldier and who had navigated the streets of London his entire life.Robin had been sheltered.Not that it had really protected her, but the things life had thrown at her made her parents even more protective.She loved them but that meant that she wanted to please them.Balancing what made her happy with what made her parents and Matthew happy was starting to be an impossibility.She wished she could talk to Strike about this.She needed support in the worst way possible.

As lunchtime drew near, Strike decided it was a good day to order takeout.Their schedule for the afternoon was nearly bare.He asked Robin what she’d like for lunch.They settled on pizza.Robin called in the order as Strike put the kettle on.Their food came quickly and they were eating it companionably when Robin’s cell phone rang.It was her mother, calling about when Robin and Matthew would arrive in Masham for Christmas.Robin told her mother they planned to leave on Saturday morning, and she wasn’t pleased. “Why don’t you come on Friday instead?That way you’ll have the whole weekend to help with the Christmas preparations.His mother will be pleased to have you come earlier, too.She was just complaining about how little she’s seen of Matthew this year when I ran into her at the grocery.”Robin explained —again— that she and Matt both had to work on Friday.“Sorry, Mum, but we can’t leave early.We have to work.No, we’ll be there late Saturday afternoon.”Robin hung up, annoyed at her mother’s persistent inability to understand that work obligations were important.

She grabbed a second slice of pizza, glaring at her phone.“Lucy wants me to come stay with her all next week,” Strike said in sympathy.“She doesn’t understand why it would drive me mad.” 

Robin looked at him.“Mum wants us to skip work on Friday to come down so that we can help her prepare for Christmas.I wouldn’t mind that except Matt’s parents would want equal time and I cannot stand his mother.I’d like to just run away and spend Christmas somewhere else, without family.”

“Me, too,” Strike grinned at her.“Want to run away with me?We can go to Paris or Rome or if you want to avoid the airline traffic, we can just drive to Scotland and take a ferry to the Shetland Islands where we can hide out until the holidays are over.” 

“Sounds perfect,” Robin said, entering into the game.“I’ll do it if you guarantee endless bottles of good wine and a batch of good books to read in front of the fire, plus a great Christmas dinner that I don’t have to help prepare.”

“I want perfect weather so I can take a boat out fishing one day, then sleep until noon the rest of the time,” Strike added to the Wish List.“Wherever we go has to have a great traditional pub to hang out with each night until closing.”

“And a good takeout place for the times we don’t feel sociable.Plus a really comfortable bed and a soaking tub with an assortment of bubble baths and assorted chocolates left out for me each night.”

“I want one of those fancy showers with multiple jets and a broad seat to sit on while I pummel all my sore muscles with hot water.And a bottle of single malt whisky I’ve never heard of to drink each night.”

Robin looked at Strike and suddenly blurted out, “Why’d you fire me?Really?”

Strike looked her square in the face and said, “To protect you.I couldn’t stand it if you got hurt, Robin.And you were not backing off chasing that killer, no matter how dangerous it got.It was the only way I could think of to keep you safe.And that matters to me a lot.”

“I’m a big girl, Cormoran.I don’t want to be coddled.I get enough of that from my parents.”

“I know.I’ll try to do better.I’m going to be protective no matter what, I guess, but if you tell me off when necessary, I’ll back off.”He hesitated.“Why’d you marry Matthew, Robin?After all, he lied to break up our partnership and I know how you feel about the job.”

Robin hesitated, unsure how to explain.“He was good to me when I needed reassurance and I’d known him forever.I was in love with him and my parents had spent so much money on my wedding….Plus they like him and they see me married, settled down with kids and a house and a secure future.Matt provides that.I love my parents, Cormoran, and I don’t want to let them down.Matt’s ok most of the time.I guess allowed their expectations to push me into going through with the wedding, and then he got really ill on the honeymoon and I couldn’t walk out then.I let expectations push me into it and I stayed because it’s easier to stay than to go.”

Strike poured them both more tea, thinking about what Robin had said.“We’re operating according to type, aren’t we, Ellacott?You are being the good girl trying to please everyone and I’m the good soldier trying to take care of everyone.We do need to stop this and be ourselves, don’t we?”

“I wish it was that easy, Cormoran.” she sighed.“I’m in a trap that I helped build.”

“Any time you change your mind and want to take that ferry to the Shetland Islands, let me know.”

“I will,” Robin said, and put down her last slice of pizza to answer the ringing phone.


	3. Chapter 3

Summer finally came after a long, wet and chilly winter that held on into late spring.Strike was amused to see that Robin posted a map of northern Scotland on her bulletin board with the Aberdeen-Lerwick ferry route marked to the Shetlands.He was less amused to see how often Robin came to work with black circles under her eyes.She seemed to be losing weight, too.He was debating whether to say something when Robin stormed into the office one Thursday, eyes flashing, towing a suitcase behind her. 

Strike had been making them tea.He turned and stared.Robin was in a towering rage.He’d never seen her like this.“Ready to head to the Shetland Islands?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said.He’d promised, after all.“Want tea while I pack?”She nodded.“How long is the drive to Aberdeen, or are we taking the train?”

“I’m driving.I’ve got the Land Rover.It’s around 9 hours to the ferry.”

“Then we’ll need food.You make a list and drink your tea while I get clothes together.How long are we staying?”

“No idea.I just need to get out of here.” 

“Ok, I’ll be back shortly.”Strike went upstairs and packed a week’s worth of clothing, his chargers and laptop.After some debate he tossed a box of condoms into the bag, burying it at the bottom under socks and underwear.He grabbed all the snacks he had in the kitchen and tossed them into a carrier bag.He found his thermos and rinsed it out.Then locked his flat and taking everything with him, headed downstairs. 

Robin was drinking her tea and pondering a list of food items.He showed her the snacks he had and put more water to boil so they could fill his thermos with tea.“Do you want to go shopping while I put off everything we can put off and record an out-of-the-office message for the phones?Or do you want me to do the shopping while you juggle clients?”

Robin opted to do the shopping.Strike reminded her to get him a carton of cigarettes and matches and gave her his bank card and a piece of paper with his cash point number.“Take out the maximum amount.We’ll need it,” he said.Robin left while he found his checkbook, packed all the cigarettes he had in the office, emptied petty cash and recorded a message on the answering machine.He made sure his wallet, checkbook, keys, phone and lighter were in his pocket.He filled his thermos with hot tea and went back to his flat where he found the chiller bag he took to football games.He packed beers and sodas and bottled water into it from his frig and took it downstairs where he put it with his sports bag, Robin’s suitcase and the bag of food. 

By that time Robin had turned.They turned out her purchases and split Strike’s cash between them, added the carton of smokes to his sports bag, and put the food items in the chiller bag or carrier.Robin took her suitcase and the chiller bag with her when she fetched the Land Rover.Strike visited the loo, took his sports bag and the food to the landing, turned off the office lights and locked the door.By the time he was out on the sidewalk, Robin was pulling up in front of the office.Strike put the food in the back seat and added his sports bag to the back next to Robin’s suitcase.He climbed into the passenger seat and they were off.

They drove for about two hours without saying anything.Robin sipped at the tea Strike poured for her.He smoked out the open window.As they approached Oxford he asked her if she wanted a break for gas and lunch.Robin hesitated and then nodded.Road services offered a gas station and a McDonald’s where they gorged on hot French fries and fish sandwiches.Back on the road, they were in Manchester by mid-afternoon.By seven at night they were approaching Glasgow.Strike got sandwiches out of the food bag and they ate while Robin drove.St. Andrews was the next largest town where they gassed up again.Another two hours brought them to Aberdeen and the ferry dock.Strike brought a ticket with overnight accommodation for them in twin berths.Robin drove straight onto the ferry, parked and the attendant put blocks under their wheels.Strike unloaded their bags while Robin talked to the attendant who directed them to their cabin.It had two bunks and a tiny washroom with a small shower.Strike dumped their bags and they went to the ferry dining room which had a nice selection of menu items and a wonderful view of the ocean as the ferry pulled away from the dock and headed towards the Shetland Islands. 

Robin had barely said a word the entire trip.Strike was letting her have her space but there were practicalities he needed to take care of.“Do we have a place to stay in Lerwick?We’ll be there in a bit over twelve hours.”

“Not yet,” Robin said.“Let’s ask the crew for recommendations.” 

That’s how they found out about Westhall Cottage, a whitewashed cottage two miles from the downtown centre.Surrounded by a stone wall with an ocean view, it wasn’t protected from the wind but it had a nice wood stove, two bedrooms, a shower and a soaking tub plus a good-sized kitchen.The steward’s mother’s family rented it out for the summer but since it was early in the year, it was vacant for the next two weeks.Strike booked it for that whole time with the understanding after the first week they’d either cancel or renew for the second week. 

That settled, they enjoyed their fish and chips dinner, talking about everything but why Robin had come to work in a rage and decided to chuck it all and run off with Strike to the Shetlands.Strike had ordered them a white wine and a whisky at dinner to take back to their berths, so they toasted each other, drank it all down, then took turns in the tiny bathroom changing into pajamas before each climbed into their separate berths and fell asleep. 

They were both up fairly early the next morning.The ferry wouldn’t arrive in Lerwick until nearly 11 a.m. so they had a full English breakfast in the dining room, then took hot teas to the observation deck where they watched the ocean waves and thought their own thoughts.By 10:30 a.m. they had everything packed and stowed away in the Land Rover.Strike stood on deck, smoking, while Robin sat behind the wheel of her old vehicle, eager to be on her way.Finally they were waved off the ferry and drove down the ramp onto the dock, then Strike directed them using his phone’s map to the cottage that would be their home for the next week or two.

Westhall Cottage was two floors, with the twin bedroom and shower room on the main floor and a full bath with soaking tub and a master bedroom with king sized bed on the upper floor.They toured the cottage first, then carried the food into the kitchen where they put things away.The refrigerator was on and cold, there was fire wood stacked by the wood stove, and the bedrooms appeared to have fresh sheets on the beds. Strike let Robin lead the way into the house with her suitcase and his sports bag, content to let her set their sleeping arrangements.She led him upstairs where they both unpacked in the master bedroom.Strike said he’d take his shaving kit to the downstairs bathroom since the tub wouldn’t be easy on his leg so Robin unpacked her cosmetics and shampoo in the upstairs bathroom.While she was doing that Strike put his box of condoms in the bedside table drawer.Best to be ready but not to pressure Robin in any way.He asked Robin if she wanted lunch out or in.She voted for out, so after freshening up, they locked the cottage and climbed back into her Land Rover and headed into town. 

Robin parked in the centre of Lerwick.It was a bustling place, with busy traffic and a good number of shops.They found The Lounge Bar, a crowded and friendly place with decent beer and good pub food.It was perfect for lunch.Robin had a plowman’s and Strike decided to have a burger with chips.They walked off their lunch by exploring the area a bit.The Scotland Times bookshop was a fun browse. Strike found a used history of the Shetlands while Robin bought herself a copy of Ann Cleeves’ Raven Black, a mystery set in the Shetlands.They finished their walk at a chocolate shop where they bought a selection of hand made chocolates, then got directions to the Tesco in the area so they could fill out their larder.

While Strike unpacked the groceries they’d bought and put them away, Robin went back upstairs to the master bedroom.She came down a minute later with a box of Betty’s tea bags from her suitcase which she set on the counter.Strike gave her a big smile.“Tea now?I’m about to start stew for supper.”

Robin said she’d wait a bit and helped Strike by chopping potatoes and carrots and onions while he browned the stew meat he’d purchased.He added chopped garlic and a little red wine from a bottle he opened and Robin tossed in the vegetables.Strike then added water and set the pot on the stove to boil.He poured them both a glass of red wine.Robin took hers and her book outside to side in the dying sun while Strike sipped at his, wondering what had happened and how best to coax Robin to confide in him. Soon his stew was boiling, so he was able to turn down the heat, put on the pot’s cover, and join Robin with his glass in his hand.Together they watched the ocean waves roll onto the beach and the sun set over the distant horizon.Once it was dark, they went back inside where Strike checked the stew and stirred it.He topped up their wine glasses and joined Robin in the lounge where she reclining on the long sofa, watching the tv news.Strike joined her.Before long he had stretched out his long legs down the length of the couch and Robin was sitting next to him, her own legs on his, his arm around her shoulder.They sat together as it grew darker, Strike enjoying the feel of Robin next to him and Robin saying nothing, just drinking her second glass of wine. 

Finally Strike told Robin he needed to check the stew, so she got off the couch and followed him into the kitchen where he pronounced the stew ready to eat.Robin got herself a third glass of wine.Strike filled his own glass part-way, and turned on the oven to heat the loaf of bread he’d gotten from Tesco’s bakery.Robin found plates and silverware, so soon Strike was able to dish up stew and give Robin garlic bread to accompany it.They took their meal to the kitchen table where they sat and ate in silence.

“Robin, when are you going to tell me what’s going on?”Strike finally asked.

Robin sighed and took a big gulp of wine.“Matt’s cheating on me.”

“Shit.How did you find out?” Strike said, mostly to keep her talking.

“I went home a little early on Wednesday, after I finished trailing Double Trouble.I walked in on him in bed with Sarah Shadlock, the woman he cheated on me with when he was an uni.I threw Sarah out and we had a screaming match.He slept on the couch Wednesday night, and I didn’t sleep all night trying to decide what to do.My parents think I should forgive him and try again, but Cormoran, I don’t want to.”

“Then don’t,” he said.“I’ll back you whatever you decide, you know that.”

“I know.Can I have some ice cream?”Strike had gotten a small container of expensive ice cream.He found bowls, got the little tub out of the freezer, and split it with Robin.

“What did you tell your parents?”

“That I was going away for a week or so to think it over. But I’ve made up my mind, Cormoran.I’m finding a place of my own and divorcing Matt.He’ll cheat on me again and again if I don’t.I don’t want to live like that, waiting for the next slip up on his part.We weren’t very happy, anyway.”

“I’ve noticed you are losing weight and coming to work looking like a zombie some days.I was working up to asking you what was going on when you sprang this trip on me.”

“Are you sorry you came?”

“No, I’m glad.Spending time with you is always good, and if this will help you get Matthew out of your life, I’m all for it.I never liked him.Go get your coat.I’m making us coffee and we can sit outside and drink it and listen to the ocean.”

So that’s what they did.They sat together on the bench, Strike’s arm around Robin and her hand on his thigh, listening to the ocean and sipping the strong coffee.When Robin yawned, Strike suggested bed.They washed their dishes, turned out the lights, and headed to bed.Strike dressed for bed in the downstairs bath while Robin got ready upstairs.Strike slowly climbed the stairs, took off his prosthetic leg while sitting on one side of the bed, then crawled under the covers where Robin joined him. 

She whispered quietly, “Can we just cuddle for a while?I’m dead tired.”

“Sure.I’m pretty tired, too.It was a long trip, I wasn’t even driving, and the berths on the ferry weren’t that comfortable,” he answered.They fell asleep with Robin in his arms, his nose buried in her lightly scented hair, her hand on his hip. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Note the rating change with the addition of a sex scene.

Robin woke early. She was a morning person and Strike wasn’t so she managed to slip out of his grasp without waking him.She pulled on warm clothes and quietly went downstairs to start the coffee pot and make herself toast.It was quite cold and rainy outside, so she lit a fire in the wood stove and ate her toast and drank her coffee in the lounge in front of the fire, enjoying the warmth and wondering just how to explain to her parents why she’d gone off on a whim with her business partner.She was staring into the fire when Strike came into the room, his own coffee mug in his hand.He sat down across from her on one of the upholstered chairs and said, “Good morning” with a groan.Robin smiled at him.“Morning.Sorry, I couldn’t sleep any longer.”

“No problem.I would have slept longer if my stomach hadn’t been insistent that breakfast was needed to keep me from wasting away.”

“How does ham and eggs and toast sound?”

“Like heaven.Want help in the kitchen?”

“No, I am not used to having company in the kitchen.I don’t know how to cook with someone else.”

“Matthew didn’t like to cook?”

“No, he thought that was woman’s work.”

“I’m not Matthew.”

“I know.Why don’t you enjoy the fire for a bit or have a cigarette outside with your coffee and when you finish come help in the kitchen?By then I might have adjusted to a new kitchen setup and be up for adjusting to having help.”

Strike nodded and watched Robin head for the kitchen.He was going to have to take this very slowly but Robin was worth the care.

Robin found a frying pan and heated the ham, then searched for plates while it cooked.She put the ham on plates for each of them, then added eggs to the frying pan.She found the jam they’d bought and was putting it on the table with the bread and butter when Strike came into the kitchen and poured them both more coffee, adding the exact amount of cream she liked to her mug.She shouldn’t be surprised by this as he made her coffee and tea at work as often as she made it for him, but somehow it was surprising in this more domestic setting.Strike got out the silverware and set the table, then got the toaster going while she flipped their eggs.He buttered the toast for them both and put it on the plates just as she moved eggs from the frying pan to the dishes.He carried both plates to the table and they sat down, Strike passing her the jam to add to her toast if she liked.It was companionable.They ate in silence for a bit, then Strike asked her if she had anything she wanted to do for the day. 

Robin made up her mind.“Yes, once we clean up after breakfast, I’d like to take the last of the coffee upstairs and finish it in bed.Will you come with me?”

“Sure,” he said.“It’s nippy out.Must be the rain and wind off the ocean.I know it’s June but it feels more like late winter out.”Together they washed their dishes, tidied the kitchen, and pour themselves more coffee.Strike emptied the coffee maker and rinsed the pot out while Robin added cream to their coffees.She carried both mugs from the room and headed upstairs.She put a mug on each bedside table, kicked off her shoes, and crawled under the covers.Strike joined her after he took off his shoe and removed his prothesis.He sat close to her, a bunch of pillows supporting their backs, one knee drawn up, sipping his coffee.She moved a bit closer to him and drew up her own knees to support her mug in her hands.Robin closed her eyes and sighed.

“Cormoran, I don’t have any experience with men except for Matt.I’ve not kissed anyone else since when I was twelve at a school dance.I don’t really know much about pleasing men.Matt said…. he said I was frigid.”

“Bastard!” thought Cormoran.Out loud he said, “Is that the excuse he gave for cheating on you?”Robin nodded, looking miserable.“I know there are people who don’t really enjoy sex because of past trauma.I don’t think you are one of them.”

“I was raped, Cormoran.It made it difficult for me to trust Matt again at first.”

“Well, that’s normal.It’s not neurotic or anything.If I’d been through what you endured I don’t think I’d be eager to jump into bed with anyone for a while, frankly.But you were very brave, you know.The trial must have been a horrible experience.I know how rape victims are treated at trial.”

“It was like being raped all over again except in public.” 

“I know.”Noticing her coffee mug was empty he took it from her and set it on the bedside table along with his. “Look, Robin, I’d like to sleep with you, you’re a very sexy woman, and I’ve wanted to for a long time, but we work together.I’m not sure it’s a great idea.But if we do, it’ll be great.I am certain of that.Want to just snuggle for a while?I am ok with just that if you want to sort of ease into making up your mind.Whatever you decide, I’m ok with it.I’m not going to push you into sex or argue against it.This is totally up to you to decide.This trip is more about us getting away from expectations than anything else, you know.I’m not about to expect more from you than you want to give.” 

“Thanks.Snuggling would be nice.It’s a great day for snuggling.”Strike pushed himself down under the covers and Robin joined him.They lay together on the bed with the covers pulled to their chins, holding hands under the duvet, looking out the big picture window at the stormy sky.Robin rolled toward Strike, and put her head on his shoulder and her free arm around his waist.He gently kissed her hair and then touched her cheek with his free hand.“You always smell great, you know.”

“Except for that episode with Opium.Remember that?” Robin asked.

Strike wrinkled his nose and Robin giggled.“Oh yeah.That. Another bright idea from Matthew if I remember correctly.The man is a genius when it comes to making the wrong move.Didn’t it give you a headache?It nearly did me.” 

Robin snuggled a bit closer.“I like how you smell.A little tobacco, a little coffee, something that is warm and musky that is just you, Cormoran.”

He touched her honey hair lightly.“You smell like lemon and mint and violets all mixed together.It must be your shampoo or lotion or something, but it is nice.When I make the tea in our office in the morning I sit in your chair sometimes.It has a bit of your scent while I wait for the water to come to the boil.It always puts me in a good mood.”

Robin smiled slightly.“You are quite poetic sometimes, Mr. Strike.”

“Only when inspired, Ms. Ellacott.” He continued, more seriously, “Working with you has been terrific, you know.You are smart, good with people, you work hard, and you are always curious.It’s rare to find people who have all that.”

“Thanks.”Robin moved even closer to Cormoran, and ran her hand though his hair.“I’ve always wanted to run my fingers through your hair.It’s very soft.I thought it would be wiry.”

“Nope, soft all over, that’s me.I need to cut back on the smoking and drinking and takeout meals.”

“Don’t change, Cormoran.You are perfect the way you are.”He smiled at her and softly kissed her.Robin kissed him back, enjoying the touch of his lips, the hint of his tongue, the touch of his hand in her hair.Without realizing it, she ground her hips into his, making him moan a bit.Robin began to unbutton his shirt so she could run her palms over his firm chest muscles.With one hand in her hair pulling her lips to his, he used the other to attempt to unbutton her blouse.It wasn’t easy, the buttons were tiny, but he managed to get her blouse open and put one big hand over her firm breast.Robin arched her back a bit to expose her breast to him while continuing to kiss him.This enabled her to grind her hips into him more, too.Strike discovered her bra unclipped in front, which enabled him to easily take off both her blouse and bra.He rained kisses down her neck, then took one nipple in his mouth and began to play with it using his teeth and tongue.Robin moaned a little louder.“Cormoran, that feels good.” 

With both his hands free, he was able to roll over and pull Robin on top of him.She managed to use one hand to unbuckle his belt and pull it free, then toss it to the floor.He rolled her again and this time he was on top, still with her breast in his mouth, his big hands cupping her buttocks and pulling her into his hips.Robin wrapped her legs around his waist.He rocked into her, his erection massaging her clit slightly.Robin gasped and with both hands on his cheeks, lifted his face from her breast to her lips.They kissed and kissed, Robin running her hands up and down his back, feeling the muscles under the fine hair that covered his torso. 

Robin unzipped his pants and began to stroke his penis.Strike gasped at her touch, then reciprocated by unbuttoning her jeans and lowering the zipper.He slid one finger into the waistband of her panties, running it around the elastic to stroke her skin.Robin arched her back slightly at his touch.Strike propped himself up on his arms, looking down at the panting, rumpled beauty he was proud to call his partner. 

“Don’t stop now,” she told him.“Except I don’t have any condoms.”

“I brought some.I didn’t want to presume but I wanted to be prepared.”

“Where are they?”

“Drawer.”He indicated with his eyes. 

“Good.I like a man who is prepared.”Robin managed to haul herself up enough to press her breasts against Strike’s bare chest and to kiss him.He kissed her lips, breathing in the scent that was Robin, touching her silken skin, reveling in the fact that she was in bed with him, wanting him as much as he wanted her.She was a mix of playful and trusting that touched him to the core.He thought he would cheerfully die for this woman. 

Cormoran rolled to the side, which allowed them both to pull off their pants and underwear.They were completely naked now, which allowed them to stroke each other everywhere as they kissed.Robin ended up on top of Cormoran again, one hand on his erect member, the other in his hair.He held her steady with one hand on her waist and the other alternating between one of her breasts and her clit. 

“Tell me when you are ready,” he whispered.In answer she nibbled his ear.He grabbed her hips and ground his into her, making her whimper.She sat up slightly and reached for the bedside table drawer, pulling it open and finding the box of condoms which she emptied all over the bed and floor in her haste.She grabbed one package and tore it open, then unrolled the condom on Cormoran carefully and slowly, smiling at him in anticipation. 

He smiled back.She lifted herself up and was able to hold him with one hand while guiding his penis into her.Strike shut his eyes slightly as the pleasure of her tight cunt overwhelmed him slightly.She was slippery and warm, enabling her to ride him easily.He kept his hands on her hips while she found a rhythm that suited her.He thrust up into her in time with her downward motion, watching her face to see the waves of pleasure he was giving her.He moved one hand to her nipple, and massaged it with his fingers as she rode him, causing her head to fall back in pleasure.He watched fascinated as her nipples hardened and a blush covered her breasts as she came.She bucked once more and laid down on him while he continued to gently thrust into her.She was panting on his chest, “Your turn, Cormoran,” so he flipped them so he could control his thrusts into her, making them even and steady and deep. She was watching him, panting a little, her eyes starting to glaze as he drove them both to a simultaneous orgasm.She cried out and he breathed her name as the pleasure pulsed through them.He collapsed on top of her and they lay there, spent, until he recovered himself enough to roll off her and dispose of the condom.Robin’s hair was tangled and she looked thoroughly debauched.He was proud to have made her this way.He suspected her ex had never driven her to such a state, a suspicion that was confirmed when she whispered, “Wow.That was something.”

They feel asleep, worn out from the sex, Cormoran’s big arm around her waist and her hand tangled in his hair, with their legs wrapped around each other, lust satisfied and a barrier crossed.


	5. Chapter 5

Strike woke to find Robin yawning beside him.He stretched, then laid back and admired her body as she sat up in bed. “What time is it?”he asked.She found her phone and told him it was nearly 3 p.m. 

“Want to go for a walk on the beach so you can smoke?” Robin wanted to know.

“If I can do it with my leg.I may have trouble if it is too rocky or the sand is not hard packed.”

“If it’s too difficult to walk we’ll come right back and go to bed.”

“You are insatiable, woman.I’m not a kid any more.”

Robin leaned back down and kissed him, and he pulled her on top of him, enjoying the smooth creamy skin and how her hair tickled his shoulders.To his surprise he was half erect again.She noticed and smiled, then whispered, “Later.I have to find all the condoms I spilled first.”She rolled out of bed and collecting their clothes, piled his on the end of the bed and started to dress.He laid back and watched her as she bent over to grab the condom box and refill it with everything that had spilled.That chore done, she put the box back into the drawer and sat on the bed to tie her shoes.He sat up and kissed the back of her neck, then pulled on his shirt.It was a bit chilly in the bedroom once you were out from under the covers.She found his prothesis and handed it to him so he could buckle it on, then pull on his pants and his sock.His belt had fallen under the bed where she retrieved it for him.That done, she retreated into the bathroom to comb her hair and wash her face and teeth.Strike made the bed and headed downstairs into the shower room to clean himself up a bit in preparation for a trip outside. 

He looked at himself in the mirror.His hair was a mess, he needed a shave, and he looked happy.Sex always improved one’s mood, he supposed, but sex with Robin was on another level.He felt energized and protective, loving and gentle, ready to take on the world.He knew she’d never ask anything of him; perhaps that was why he wanted to give her the moon and stars.He brushed his teeth, attempted to tame his hair, and gave up on shaving. 

He found Robin in the living room, reviving the fire in the wood stove.He offered to make them tea.In the kitchen he set the kettle on, and found a box of biscuits and two clean mugs.He also found the box of expensive chocolates they’d bought and sat that on a tray he’d found when hunting mugs.Everything ready, he carried the tray with the chocolates, biscuits, and mugs of tea into the living room where Robin was sprawled on the big couch.He put the tray on the coffee table and pulled her into his lap for a kissing session and then a cuddle with one arm around her waist and one of her arms around his neck. Their other hands held their mugs of tea.Finally Robin moved off Strike’s lap to sit next to him so they could eat biscuits and chocolates.

When they finished their tea break, Robin fetched their coats and they headed outside.Their cottage was near a beach, which Strike was glad to see was hard packed sand with only an occasional pebble.Robin found a piece of turquoise blue sea glass polished opaque and smooth by the waves, which she showed to Cormoran, then put in her pocket.The beach wasn’t large, so they walked to the end and stood together, holding hands, watching the waves coming in and the clouds rushing away to Norway.When Robin started to shiver, Strike led her back into the cottage and stoked the fire in the wood stove. 

They both checked messages, Robin deciding to ignore all those from Matthew and her family, and they looked at their larder, then decided a meal out would be a better option as the weather was clearing.They ended up at the Fjara Cafe where they ordered roast chicken with jacket potatoes and broccoli and bought pastries for tomorrow’s breakfast.A stroll around the downtown helped settle the meal but since it was fully dark, Robin drove them back to the cottage where they discussed the pros and cons of a system Ilsa had told Robin about that lawyers used for billing to make sure they captured how much time they spent on a case.Robin thought it might be easily adapted to their business; Strike wasn’t sure, so they went through how it was set up together, trying to find problems or issues where it didn’t seem to be flexible enough for how they worked.

Bedtime found them spooning naked in the big king sized bed.Robin asked Strike about oral sex, admitting although Matt liked her to perform it on him, he’d never returned the favor.So Strike settled between Robin’s legs and gave her a virtuoso lesson from a master of the technique that left her panting and gasping.She returned the favor once she recovered, proving once again to Strike that Matthew had been a lucky man who didn’t value what he’d had. They fell asleep in each other’s arms. 


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning Strike was awake earlier than usual.He was thinking about yesterday and the change in his relationship with his business partner.He was hoping that once they went back to London they’d be a couple but there would be challenges.Living together would require adjustments.He doubted her parents would be thrilled by her sleeping with him.He thought Matthew would make every effort to get Robin back.He also knew that they would need to be careful not to allow their personal lives to effect their business.He didn’t want to pressure Robin, either.He wanted her to freely choose what she wanted out of life. He hoped she would want to be with him long-term, but there were no guarantees. 

He looked down at her, asleep in his arms, and vowed to savor every moment with her and to respect any decision she made.He knew he was overprotective.He also knew that Robin could be reckless when it came to protecting the weak.They were sure to butt heads occasionally.But nothing had prepared him for the joy he felt when she was responding wholeheartedly to him.This was a woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.He hoped she felt the same.

Robin opened her eyes to see Strike smiling at her.She yawned and stretched and said, “Breakfast first or sex?”He opted for sex first, making her laugh as he mock growled and nuzzled her neck.“Cave man.I’ve gone to the Shetlands with a cave man.And a sex fiend—thank goodness.”The sex was fast and furious after that, with Strike leaving a tiny bite mark on Robin’s breast as she left fingernail marks on his ass trying to coax him deeper.Panting, they lay together, sweating and happy. 

“Would you like to move in with me when we get back to London?Or do you want a place of your own now that you are leaving Matthew?” Strike asked as he played with her hair.Robin thought about it while they dressed.“I think I’d like to stay with you at first and then find a place of my own.I know your flat isn’t large and I don’t want to be in your way.”

“My lease is up in six weeks.I was going to renew but we could look for a place together.” 

“We’d need two bedrooms so we each have our own space,” Robin said.

“Agreed.There will be times when I’m back really late and I won’t want to wake you.” 

“We’ll both need time alone occasionally,” Robin pointed out. 

“True.You won’t want to watch football games I suspect.How about you move in with me for now while we look for a place together?If we are having regular sex we probably can control ourselves in the office.Otherwise I’m going to want to fuck you on my desk which isn’t professional.”

“Sounds good, the fucking on the desk, I mean, but you are right, we are going to have to have boundaries at work.We can probably put up with being cramped together for six weeks, and that’ll give us incentive to find a place.Any thoughts as to where for a flat?”

“Someplace near the train so we can get around easier, I guess.As long as the area is reasonably safe, I don’t care otherwise.It would be nice to be close to the office but I don’t think we can count on the landlord not selling the building out from under us to developers, so that’s probably not a priority.”

“Right now I think a priority is breakfast,” Robin said as Strike’s stomach growled.They finished dressing, made the bed together, then both visited their bathrooms before meeting in the kitchen.Strike made coffee while Robin set out the pastries they’d bought.Robin said, “Two bathrooms would be good, right?Shower for you and tub for me?”

“Yeah. I don’t mind a small bath and bedroom for myself.That’s easier for me to navigate without the leg on frankly.Do we need a big kitchen?”

“Probably just big enough for two to move around.We seem to cook together so I think we’ll probably continue that.”  
  
“We’ll need a living room with a bit of space for a desk or table we can share to work on, and space for a comfortable couch, one we can stretch out on for tv and with the right back height so I can bend you over it to fuck from behind.”  
  
Robin arched an eyebrow.“We are going to have to see how that works here with this sofa to know what height the back of the couch we’ll need to buy has to be.”

“Agreed.I’ll put that on the agenda for later today, shall I?”

“Please, Mr. Sex Fiend.” 

“Anything to keep Milady satisfied.”Robin kissed him lightly on the back of the neck as she got up to fetch them more coffee.The day’s agenda still having room for more items, they decided to see if they could go out on a boat.Cormoran had spent a lot of time on his uncle’s boat in Cornwall and was curious about fishing in the Shetlands.Robin knew little about boats but she was willing to learn.Strike checked the weather report, which looked favorable for a boat ride, while Robin washed the dishes and cleaned out the coffee pot.Strike found where the local docks were and together with Robin, they plotted how to get there in the Land Rover. 

“If they balk at having a novice on board, I’ll wander around downtown and come back to the dock to get you at a pre-arranged time, ok?

“Ok.Hope you can go, though.I want you to see what boats are like for when we go to Cornwall in August—if you want to go there with me.”

“Love to.What happens in August?”

“My aunt and uncle have their anniversary and there’s always a family party.” 

“Am I family now?”“Course.You’re my partner.We’re moving in together.I consider you a very important part of my life.”

Robin smiled at him. “Do we have time to measure the height of the couch before we go find a boat?”

“Sure do.” 

The height of the couch in the cottage was perfect as Strike discovered.Robin was perfect but he knew that already.Later Strike found her sea glass on the floor where it had fallen from her pants pocket during the frantic sex.He put it in his shirt pocket, resolving to find a jeweler to put it on a necklace for her to wear as a memento of the trip to the Shetlands where they’d headed into the future as themselves—together.


End file.
